Nick McKim (Tasmania, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The Israeli government overnight has just locked in an apartheid death penalty for Palestinians, paving the way for summary executions through a rigged system of military tribunals, completely outside the rule of law. It is a disgraceful and profound escalation of the genocide against Palestinians, and it is spearheaded by the war criminals Netanyahu and Ben-Gvir. Yet today, the National Press Club here in Canberra is going to hand the Israeli ambassador a microphone and give him a cup of tea and a platform to advocate for genocide.

He should not be platformed in this way, but, considering he is being handed this platform, the question has to become, 'Will the Australian media hold him to account?' I say it is very unlikely that they will, because many Australia journalists and media outlets have been disgraceful and have discredited themselves in the way they have covered this genocide. They use passive language, they avoid holding Israel responsible, and they deliberately strip Palestinian people of their humanity. They take free junkets to Israel—trips that buy their silence, their complicity and their defence of a genocide. Meanwhile, journalists who speak out are pushed out or punished, and accusations of antisemitism are deployed to shut down criticism. From the way this has unfolded, many Australian journalists and many Australian media outlets stand condemned.

The Greens are here to stand up this for natural justice, to stand up against apartheid, to stand up against genocide and to say, 'Free Palestine.' (Time expired)